A councillor says any future plans to develop Prestwick Airport have been put in jeopardy by the Scottish Authorities.
Councillor Bob Pollock has described the dropping of Prestwick Airport from a draft nationwide coverage as “stunning”.
He hit out after the Scottish Authorities had omitted the Ayrshire airport from the Nationwide Planning Framework.
And a former chief of the council, Hugh Hunter, blasted the federal government for failing to giving an evidence for omitting the airport from the nationwide framework plans.
The framework brings collectively main developments and initiatives throughout Scotland.
However Mr Pollock is livid that a draft of the most recent model misses out the airport.
And it has emerged that Ayrshire has been grouped with Glasgow, Edinburgh and Lanarkshire as a single ‘Central Belt area’ versus being aligned with the South of Scotland.
It means the likes of Girvan will probably be lumped in with Edinburgh and Motherwell as a single ‘Central Belt’ area slightly than with Dumfries or Stranraer which it has highway hyperlinks with.
South Ayrshire Council thought of its response to the proposed framework on Thursday.
There was vital criticism over the dearth of reference to native infrastructure, the elimination of Prestwick Airport, grouping with dissimilar cities, and an overt deal with Glasgow in relation to the Ayrshire Development Deal.
Conservative Councillor Pollock mentioned: “It's a fully stunning plan, it has come out from the Scottish Authorities with barely a reference to Ayrshire, jeopardising the plans to develop the airport.”
The coverage, as soon as finalised, could be used alongside the council’s Native Growth Plan (LDP) to find out planning purposes.
Councillors heard that the the Nationwide Planning Framework would ‘outweigh the council’s quickly to be adopted native growth plan’.
A report back to the complete council acknowledged that some points of the proposed framework required clarification on points.
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The nationwide proposals function totally different geographical areas, with South Ayrshire confusingly concluded within the Central Transformation Space (largely equating to the central belt, and Southern Sustainability Space).
Craig Isles, head of the council’s planning, mentioned: “The Central Transformation Space contains Edinburgh, Motherwell and Girvan and it's obscure how the proposed group of methods can handle the challenges of those very totally different areas.
“Some extent of concern throughout the doc is its therapy of the Ayrshire Development Deal and the Spaceport growth.
“Their solely look is how they relate to Glasgow not our personal regional priorities of this space, akin to how our shoreline, harbours and ports may contribute to sustainable tourism.
“It additionally fails to say or handle the most important infrastructure points that South Ayrshire faces.
“Prestwick Airport is a nationwide growth, nevertheless, it has been faraway from the nationwide developments inside NPF with out rationalization.
“The downgrading of the standing of the airport and the situation of the spaceport throughout the airport may have implications for South Ayrshire.
“This downgrading in standing may have financial impacts for the Council, nevertheless, these are usually not quantified at this stage.
“There are vital points. Contemplating these points, and the issues in regards to the wording and content material of the insurance policies.”
Impartial councillor Hugh Hunter was scathing in regards to the omission of the airport and referred to as for motion from all three Ayrshire authorities.
He added: “It appears ludicrous that it has been dropped with out an evidence in any respect. ”
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